MPA Conference: Retailers are the New Marketers

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The most successful retailers are those which become marketers, said Lee Nichols, president and chief executive officer, Dechert-Hampe & Co., Mission Viejo, Calif., speaking here at this week's Retail Conference of the Magazine Publishers of America in conjunction with the International Periodical Distributors Association, both based in New York. Retailers can no longer differentiate themselves by being an effective distributor of products, Nichols said. "With all of the channel and format confusion," he said, referring to situations such as supermarkets carrying books, bookstores carrying Starbucks coffee, and Starbucks stores selling music, "there is a challenge to reach the consumer with a compelling message." In response, he said, retailers "are focusing their expertise and capabilities on building their brand banner and finding new compelling ways to appeal to shoppers." -- Wendy Toth